Electrical switch



NW, 4, 193% G. o. WILMS ELECTRICAL SWITCH Original Filed April 14, 1921 Patented Nov. 4, 1930 eos'rav o. WIIMS, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNEAssIeNMENTs,

TO THE RELIANCE COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON,

DELAWARE DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF ELECTRICAL SWITCH Original application filed April 14, 1921, Serial No. 461,288, now Patent No. 1,629,756, dated May 24, 1927.

Divided and this application filed October 8, 1926. Serial N0. 140,298.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electrical switches consisting of a sealed or closed container having spacedand insulated contacts therein adapted to be electricall bridged by a movable contact body, pref erably a fluid such as mercury which is shifted upon tilting or rotating of the container on a transverse axis.

An .object of this invention resides in the provision of a removable cartridge like device having means therein for making and breaking associated electrical circuits.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved electrical switch device of the character described which may be readily replaced to thus facilitate its renewal in the event the same becomes damaged or inoperative. And a further object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved contact device of the character deseribed which is very simple in construction and efiicient in operation and which will be very durable and will withstand any use under currents of substantially high value.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated one complete example 0 the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a switch embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 2-2, and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating one manner of using my improved switch.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing in which like nu-= merals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates a standard or support having journaled therein a shaft 6 carrying a mounting 7 for my improved electrical contactor 8, to be later described.

In my copending application filed April 14, 1921, Serial No. 461,288, now Letters Patent Number 1,629,756, dated May 24, 1927, of which this is a division, is illustrated one manner of utilizing my-improved electrical contactor for providing a delaying action in the breaking of the circuits of the actuating solenoid coils of'a switch device designated asat 9, and consisting of a pair of solenoids 10 and 11 suitably mounted on a supporting panel 12 and operating the armature 13 of the switch and an armature release latch 14, respectively. The movable contact, designated as the armature 13 in the present instance, has one end of a line 15 connected therewith and the stationary contact 16 of the switch has one end of a line 17 connected therewith which is electrically connected with the line 15 when the armature 13 is attracted to its coil 10 and there locked by the latch 14, the other line 18 being uninterrupted as illustrated. In a switch of this character, the coil 10 is energized to close the switch when the latch 14 comes into play to secure the saineclosed, after which it is desired to deenergize the coil 10 and place the coil 11 in circuit so that it may be energized to actuate the latch member 14 when it is desired to open the switch.

A very satisfactory manner of obtaining this result is by the provision of the improved electrical contactor forming the subject matter of this application and which,

in the present instance, is mounted for rotav tion with the shaft 6 one end of which has a crank 19 thereon connected with the armature, in the manner described in the aforementioned copending application, through the medium of a link 20. The other end of the shaft 6 has a plate or panel 21 of insulating material fixed thereon havingspring contacts or clips 22 and 23 at its ends for readily detachably mounting the contactor medial I The end clips .22 and 23 haveflexible conductors or leads 25 and 26 connected ther'e- 8 a clip 24 also embracing the container at a point.-

with and wound about a compound insulating spool 27 on the shaft 6, the conductor 25, in the present instance, being connected with one end of the coil 10.,and the conductor 26 with one end of the coil 11, the clip 24 being suitably-connected with thejstationary contact 16 by a conductor 28. In the circuit illustrated in Figure 3, the other end of the coil '10 is connected with the stationary contact 29 of a control switch 30 by a conductor 31 and the other end of the coil 11 is con nected with the stationary contact 32 of the switch 30 by a conductor 33, the movable contact 34 of the switch being connected with the lin, 18 by a conductor 35.

The contactor 8 is arranged to operate so that when the switch 9 is open and the switch 30 is in a neutral position, as illustrated, the line 17 is connected with the contact 29 through the contactor 8 so that the engagement of the contact 34 with the contact 29 completes the circuit of the coil 10 through the contactor 8, and closes the switch 9, in

which position it is held by the latch 14. After the switch 9 is closed, the contactor 8 disconnects the conductors 25 and 28 and electrically connects the conductors 28 and 26.

'Thus the circuit of the coil 10 is broken and the circuit of the coil 11 is arranged so that movement of the contact 34 to engage contact 32 completes the circuit thereof, as will be readily apparent. As the description or the operation and the use of the contactor 8 in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 is at length described in the copending application of which this is a division reference is directed thereto for a more detailed state-. ment of its operation.

My improved contactor 8 consists of an elongated container 36 of insulating material, preferably glass, closed at its ends and hermeticall and 38. Cbntacts or electrodes 39 and 40 are extended into the ends of the elongated.

container from, and are in electrical engagement wit-h, the caps 37 and 38, respectively,

by having reduced portions or shanks 41 and 42, respectively, extended through the respective caps and sealed thereover, as at 43 and 44, the shanks 41 and 42 forming lead-ins for the contacts.

A medial member 45, preferably in the form of an annular band or ring is secured about the medial portiomo'f the container 36 and sealed by ferrules or caps 37' ducting liquid 50, preferably mercury, is mounted within the container so that as the same is rotated, or tilted about. a transverse axis, the body of liquid electrically connects is mounted on the support 21 by being engaged between the clips 22, 23 and 24 which are spring pressed againstthe medial members 37, 38 and 46, respectively, to electrically connect the lines or conductors 25, 26 and 28 with the contacts 39, 48 and 49, respectively. The clips 22 and 23 preferably have apertures 51 therein to receive enlargements 43 and 44 formed by sealing the contacts 39 and 40 to their respective end caps.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3, rotation. of the contactor serves to pro-' duce a delaying action on the part of the liquid contactor 50 to reverse the path of the current therethrough due to the inertia of the mercury and the adhesion of the same to the walls of the container. While the embodiment' shown illustrates a type of mounting for the contactor wherein the device is rotated through approximately one hundred and eighty degrees, it will be apparent that any type of mounting may be employed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, itwill be readily apparent that I provide a novel electrical contactor which will efliciently operate under varying current conditions and which lends itself readilyto use in various types of circuits and which is so designed as to permit its ready removal for the purpose of replacement.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. double throw contactor switch comprising a hermetically sealed elongated glass container, an electrode fixed in each end of said container, a pair of electrodes each of which is positioned between the center of said container. and one of the first named electrodes, a common support for said pair of electrodes comprising an inwardly extending integral shank adjacent the center of said container and extending downwardly from the upper wall thereof, a metallic member exterior of said container and supported thereupon, said pair of electrodes being electrically connected to said metallic member,

and a body of conducting liquid mo vable bene th said electrodes and said support to an from contact with said electrodes.

'2. An electrical contactor comprising a hermetically sealed elongated container, a pair of electrodes adjacent the central portion of said container, electrodes at each end of said container each cooperating with one of said pair of electrodes, common means for mounting and protecting said contactor and for detachably connecting said contactor in circuit comprising metallic elements exterior of said container and supported thereupon at spaced points, at least one of which points is intermediate the container ends, and leads extending through the walls of said container and connecting said electrodes to said elements.

3. An electrical switch of the liquid contactor type comprising a tubular container, a metallic band embracing said tubular container at a .point intermediate its ends, a pair of electrodes within said container in the region beneath said band, and a leadingin wire electrically connecting said band and said electrodes, said band forming a common terminal for said pair of electrodes.

4. In a device of the character described, means for making and breaking an electrical circuit, comprising a tube mounted for rotation transversely of its longitudinal axis, an electrode extended in the tube at each end, an intermediate electrode extended in the tube, said electrodes being insulated from each other, and a shiftable contact carried by the tube and in constant electrical connection with the intermediate electrode and selectively engageable with the end'electrodes to electrically connect the same with the intermediate electrode.

5. In a device of the character described,

means for making and breaking an electrical circuit, comprising a tube mounted for rotation transversely of its longitudinal axis, a contact at each end of the tube, a shit'table contact in the tube, and an intermediate contact with which the shiftable contact is in constant electrical connection, the shiftable contact being engageable with either of the end contacts to electrically connect the same with the intermediate contact. 6. In a device of the character described, means for making and breaking an electrical circuit, comprising a tube of-non-conducting material, a cap closing each end of the tube, a fixed contact carried by each cap, an intermediate contact of substantially T shape in the tube, and a shiitable contact in the form of a liquid in the tube and in constant electrical connection with the intermediate and selectively engageable with the cap carried contacts.

7-. In a device of the character described, means for making and breaking an electrical circuit, comprising a tube of non-conducting material, a band of conducting material about the tube at each end. a contact in the tube adjacent. each end and electrically connected with the adjacent band, an intern'lediate band about the tube, an intermediate contact in the tube and electrically connected with the intermediate band, a shiftable contact in the tube and operable to electrically connect the intermediate contact with either end contact and means for mounting the tube.

8. In a device of the character described,

means for making and breaking an electrical circuit, comprising a tube of non-conducting material, a band of conducting material about the tube at each end, a" contact in the tube adjacent each end and electrically connected with the adjacent band, an intermediate band about the tube, an intermediate contact in the tube and electrically connected with the intermediateband, a shiftable contact in the tube and operable to electrically connect the intermediate contact with either end contact, and spring clip means for removably mounting thetube.

9. A time elementv electric circuit controlling device comprising a pivotally mounted member operable between oppositely inclined positions, a fluid switch including a closed container removably mounted on said mema quick operation of the switch from the corresponding inclined position to the other against the resulting bias of the fluid into circuit-closing engagement with the other pair of said contacts.

10. A time element electric circuit controlling device comprising a pivotally mounted member operable between oppositely inclined positions and having a plurality of spring clip terminals mounted thereon, a substantially cylindrical closed container having a plurality of pairs of contacts mounted in spaced alignment along the axis thereof and electrically connected with corresponding contact bands on the exterior of the casing for mounting in said spring clip terminals 'tocstablish electrical connection therebetween, and a globule of conducting fluid in said container arranged to be biased into circuit-closing engagement with a corresponding pair of said contacts upon operation of said member to each of said oppositely inclined positions, said globule of fluid having such inertia as to remain temporarily in circuit-closing engagement with the corresponding pair of contacts upon a quick operation of said member from each of said oppositely inclined positions to the other position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

GUSTAV. O. WILMS. 

